To write the Story
by Lorelei Rhiannon
Summary: I totally suck at summaries so just read it. Rated high for sexual inuendo and language. Please review..!
1. 1 Insomnia

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or situations. I wish I did, but I don't. Please read and review, be nice, I'm new to the whole thing, I've heard about those people who do nothing but bash your story so if you're going to be one of those people, please refrain from reviewing, Constructive criticism is encouraged but say someting nice too. Thankyou.

Laurel walked up and down her hallway. Her insomnia getting the better of her yet again. She talked to herself as she walked. "Get away for a while, they said. You need somewhere quiet. Take a vacation. Bah! What do they know. If only they'd just given me the Ambien like I'd asked." Sighing heavily, she decided to go down to the kitchen to get a glass of milk. That always helped her to sleep when she was a child, why wouldn't it work for her at twenty eight? She was about halfway down trhe stairs when a lightning strike and thunder clap startled her, nearly out of her mind. She screamed. "Oh, yeah. That's all I need now... A storm to keep me up." She turned to the sky and asked "Are you happy?" Exhaling angrily she continued to the kitchen.

She flipped on the light, it's halogen bulb giving the room a blueish tint. Walking over to cupboard, Laurel retrieved a coffee cup and set it on the counter. She never drank coffee but the cups were good for cocoa in the winter. She opened the refridgerator and pulled out the milk gallon. Upon opening the plastic container she gasped. "Ugh!" and she promptly dropped it into the trash. "Well, so much for that idea." she said as she put the cup back.

Laurel decided to watch some t.v. to help tire her eyes out. That worked sometimes too. So she turned and exited the kitchen, flipping the switch as she past it. The room went dark behind her. As she turned the corner her long nightgown caught on the fireplace poker tearing it a little. "Son of a..." she began but stopped when she saw that her television was already on. "I didn't leave you on. Did I?" she asked. There was a movie playing so, having forgotten about the rip in her night dress, Laurel plopped down on her sofa and gazed into the flickering blue lights of the t.v.

At the bottom of the screen it said 'you are now watching King Arthur'. _Hmm_, thought Laurel and she settled in to watch one of her favorite movies. It was at a critical moment in the film. The ice battle. Laurel gritted her teeth and eeped every time a arrow was let fly by the enemy. Silly for her to be so concerned with the fates of fictional characters but hell, what else was there to do. She became so wrapped up in the movie that, after a hour and a half, she was still wide awake. The grandfather clock in the upper hallway chimed and Laurel looked up. Three in the morning. The movie was winding down so she decided to stay up til the end.

The storm still raged outside, causing the picture to get fuzzy every now and again. The film was almost to the very end. Lancelot and Cynric were nearing the end of their epic fight when the screen went to snow. "NO!" Laurel shouted in protest. She jumped up and went to the wire behind the t.v. Sometimes if you wiggled it, the picture would come back on, even in storms. So she reached behind the devise and took hold of the cable. As she jiggled it the windows lit up with another flash of lightning. A strange sensation came over he and she felt uneasy. She went to let go of the cable but it was too late. A surge of electricity coursed through her body. She fell backwards on the floor, unable to move. Darkness claimed her.

When Laurel opened her eyes she was in her own bed. The morning sun was just starting to shine in her windows. She groaned and held her head. It throbbed something terrible. Sitting up she wondered how she had gotten into her bed. She lived alone. The pain in her head only worsened when she thought about it. Slowly she rose from her bed and made her way down the hall to the stairs. At the top of the stairs she heard voices. Male voices. Laurel crept down the stairs and peeked around the corner. In her kitchen were six men, all of them were wearing body armor. One of them, with curly hair was busying himself flicking the light switch on and off. This was annoying the others to no end apparently because one of them, obviously the leader shouted "Lancelot stop that! Sit down." The curly haired man frowned and sat in one of the wooden diningroom chairs. He crossed his arms and pouted.

Laurel scratched her head. Clearing her throat she made her presence known. To her surprise all seven of them stood up. Her eyes grew wide. "Um, Who are you?" she asked warily.

The leader took a step rowards Laurel and bowed. "I, Lady am Lucius Artorius Castus and these men are my knights."

"Huh?" asked Laurel as she scratched her head in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Are you serious? Arthur Castus? For real?"

"I assure you my Lady, I am real. As real as you are." Arthur took a step towards the girl but she backed away.

Taking a step backward, Laurel nearly fell on her backside. One of the "knights" who was closest to her reached out and steadied her. "Are you ok?" he asked. His very light brown hair and blue eyes were startlingly handsome. Laurel blushed.

The one calling himself Arthur stood up and paced the room. He stopped momentarily to examine the variety of kitchen tools that littered the countertop and sink. Gingerly picking up a cheese grater he asked. "What sort of devilry has brought us here?" He handled the grater with trepidation and set it down as carefully as he had picked it up, as if he was unsure if it would explode or lash out and bite him at any second.

"Umm, that is a cheese grater." said Laurel. "And I don't know what brought you here. I was..." her voice trailed off. Then it hit her and she slapper her forehead. "I was hit by lightning! I'm dreaming!" She laughed aloud and retreated to the living room. There stood the burned and still smoking television. "crap." she said under her breath.

"You aren't dreaming." came a voice. Laurel turned her head to see the curly haired one, Lancelot, standing behind the couch. "That... whatever you call it, was the first thing that we saw when we came to. I don't know what has happened but it has to be put right. Do you agree?" He pointed to the broken t.v. as if it were a dead monster.

Groaning and holding her head Laurel nodded. "Yeah, I guess." She looked to Lancelot with a worry. "Got any ideas?"

His eyes grew wide and he shook his head. "No, I don't."

Another knight entered the room now, this one was eating a perfectly polished yellow apple. He was followed shortly thereafter by the rest of them.The handsome one that had kept her from falling coming in last. His eyes locked on her the minute he spotted her. He smiled.

"Perhaps if you tell us the events that led up to your being struck by lightning." suggested Arthur. "We may be able to assertain how we got here and how to get back." There was hope in his eyes, but his alone. The others were doubtful. Laurel could see it on their faces.

So, taking in a deep breath, Laurel went into how she couldn't sleep and decided to watch a movie. She had to detour a moment to explain what a movie was. They all thought it quite magical and odd. Arthur urged her to continue. She told of the screen going blank and how she had tried to fix it and the feeling of the electricity coursing through her. Again she had to stop to tell them about electricity. That, they all seemed facinated in, especially Lancelot. He was busying himself during the tale by inspecting all the gadgets around the livingroom. He had turned on the radio but couldn't remember how and was having difficulty in making it stop. Laurel had to rescue him.

"Lancelot, sit down and stop fiddling with stuff." said the large bald knight. So he did sit down, in one of the lavish looking easy chairs. Which to his great joy, as he soon discovered, was a recliner. The large one, called Bors, leaned foreward and slapped Lancelot in the back of the head. Laurel snickered. Lancelot of all of them was at least amusing her.

After she finished her story, Arthur sat back and scratched his chin. "I see. So we're not real to you. We came from this movie thing, then. Right?"

"As far as I can tell yes, but as I'm sitting here looking at you guys and talking to you, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're real. To me anyways."

"So how do we get back?" asked the littlest knight, this one called Galahad.

"If I knew, I'd tell you. I really would." said Laurel. She felt bad for him. He alone of the six looked terrified. "But I couldn't begin to explain it. I don't understand these kind of things. I'm just as much a victim here as you guys are." She really wanted to tell him something reassuring but she couldn't think of anything to say. she shifted uneasily in her seat.


	2. 2 Going Home

A week had gone by. There was no progress on the way to get Arthur and the others back "home" again. The t.v. had been replaced but laurel had kept the broken one just in case. She had contacted the only person she could think of to help. Her twin sister Sofia. Sofie had arrived just a few days ago and was already settled. Her arrival had been much anticipated by everyone. Lancelot in particular had wanted only to see her "carriage". He seemed totally facinated by his new modern world and tried every nob, switch and lever in the house just to see what it did. This was greeted by roars of diapproval from Arthur, Bors and especially Tristan, whom was usually reading when Lancelot suddenly flicked off the light he was using.

"I dunno, sis." said Sofia one afternoon. "They may be stuck here. Permanently." Her tone was grim and her stare was that of a scientist. Both curious and wary. "It could be good, though. You know how mom and dad have been wanting you to get a roommate." her smile was not so comforting.

"Oh, yeah Sof, I just don't think they had six men in mind. Let alone the fact that they're from the sixth century!" Laurel's sense of humor had dwindled. She scowled at her sister. She hated having to ask Sofia for help. Her twin. Her "I'm better than you because I went to college and got a degree and made someting of myself while you sit alone in this house painting your pictures and writing you fiction" attitude really rubbed Laurel the wrong way. It seemed the guys had sensed it as well because they tried to keep the sisters as far apart from each other as possible. Always wanting Laurel to "come tell me what this is called." She welcomed it even if it was tiring sometimes.

Then it happened. A night almost exactly like the one that had brought them to her, and laurel was excited. Excited yet sad. She and Gawain had grown quite close. They would spend hours just talking and she would show him her paintings. He would gape at them and tell her how talented she was. He told her to not let her sister bother her. Her sister was smart but she lacked imagination. This made her smile. Those smiles were usually genuine.

Midnight drew near and everyone sat around the television. They sat and waited. The storm grew in intensity and was starting to frighten Laurel. Gawain put his arm around her. She smiled at him. Another hour went by. The cable still streaming a picture into the devise, then... BOOM! like a bomb, the thunder cracked. Sofia screamed and the nearest kinght to her, Galahad, embraced her. She frowned at her own foolishness but no one could see as the power had gone completely out.

"Now what?" asked Bors. His voice tinted with his usual irritation.

"We get candles." stated Sofia. She and Galahad went to get them out of the kitchen drawer.

"Well, this didn't exactly turn out how I planned." grumbled Laurel. "I hoped you guys would get to go back. You were so excited to go. I hate to disappoint you guys. Sorry." The arm around her tightened and Gawain's breath could be felt on her face.

"It's ok. We don't mind, really."

Light suddenly poured into the room. Sofia and Galahad walked in each with a candle in one hand and a bundle of unlit ones in the other. Laurel rose and helped her sister to put candles in holders and light them. After a few minutes the room was ablaze with the cheery glow of more than a dozen candles.

Time passed slowly. A half hour later, and several stories past, everyone was getting tired. Laurel was leaning back against Gawain's chest and Galahad had his arms loosly around Sofia's shoulders. Arthur was still, as he had been as soon as there was light, pacing the room. "You're going to wear a path in the rug." came a voice. Sofia was smiling, really smiling. "That's an expensive rug too. What'd it cost Laurie, fifty dollars?"

Laurel shrugged and laughed. "Maybe fifty years ago. I doubt it's worth fifty cents now though so pace away Arthur, you're giving us all something to watch." He stopped and smiled at her. The others let out little laughs of their own.

There was a humming noise from downstairs in the basement and everyone sat up. "What's that noise?" asked Lancelot. The tone of his voice was that of readiness. If it were some sort of monster, he would fight it and save everyone.

"It's the generator. The power's trying to come back on." replied Sofia from her comfy spot on Galahad's lap.

Laurel's yawn was broken when the lights suddenly popped on. The television was stil out though. "I still don't see why it has to be that gets electrucuted. Why can't you do it Sofia, it was you're idea." she whined as she rose and walked over to the box and took hold of the wire.

"Because. I wasn't here when it happened the first time. You were." Her words sounded sure but she looked worried that her sister could get seriously hurt.

"Alrighty then, here goes nothing." with a heavy gulp Laurel wiggled the cable wire. There was short pause and she was about to say "nothing" when the surge hit her so hard she flew backwards. The lights went back out and Laurel lost consciousness.


	3. 3 The Dark Ages

When Laurel opened her eyes the first thing they beheld was the smiling face of Gawain. "She's awake." she heard him say and the sounds of footsteps approached. Laurel groaned, she felt like hell.

Sitting up she was about to ask how long she had been out when it occured to her that she was no longer in her livingroom. "What the hell?" she blurted out.

"It worked!" came the excited voice of her sister Sofia. "Granted it worked a little too well because we're here as well, but wow! This is so incredible! Laurel do you realize it?! We're in the sixth century. The Sixth Century!!" She was talking so fast the Laurel was having a hard time keeping up with her.

"Whoa, whoa, let her be a minute." came Galahad's voice. "Give her a minute to clear her head, it has to hurt."

Sofia was about to say something else when Laurel interrupted her by saying "It hurts like hell. I'm thirsty." She held her forehead and let her shoulders slump foreward. Gawain was right there to hold her up. A red haired woman brought her a cup of liquid. Upon taking a drink she realized it was wine. She let her head fall backwards as she drained the cup. Taking in a breath she glanced around. The air was clear, no smog, there were the smells and sounds of horses and people all around her. Had it happened just as Sofia had said? Was she really in the sixth cetnury.

"Welcome to Baden Castle, Lady Laurel." said a familiar but somehow more regal voice. Arthur was walking towards her, a lovely young woman was at his side. "This is Guinevere." The younger woman smiled at Laurel, her eyes still not believing what she was seeing.

"How long was I out this time?" she asked as she rubbed her temples.

"Only a few hours." replied Gawain. "We have a lot of work to do so you should go with Sofie and Vanora, okay?" The concern in his eyes for her was stronger. He was being downright protective of her.

As she walked with her sister and the red heade woman, Vanora, who, as she had been told, was Bors' woman. Woman not wife. She was taken into a room and fitted with a dress. "Women in this century do not wear blue jeans and camisole shirts." Sofia explained to her matter of factly. Laurel rolled her eyes at her sister.

"I'm not an idiot, Sof, I did read the same books as you when we were kids, remember. The only difference was you saw facts and figures... I saw people." She pulled a light blue dress over her head and tied it at the waist with a tan cord. It was flattering. Showing off all the right attributes and hiding the wrong ones. "How do I look?" she asked as she twirled around where she stood."

"Like a fool, the way you twirled around. Like a fairy." said Sofia blandly. She wasn't paying much attention to her sister. There was something going on outside.

The three women walked into the courtyard to see the wagons being loaded and women and children piling in their belongings. Bors walked up and told Vanora to get the kids ready, they were leaving. A rather snotty looking man dressed in a centurian's armour was walking towards a heavily guarded carriage. This must be the Bishop that Arthur and Lancelot had told her about. He didn't say anything to her as he brushed past her, nearly knocking her down. It took all her reserve will power to keep from telling him off. He could have her killed.

The caravan was slowly inching it's way out of the castle. Laurel and Sofia had been set on horses and were riding easily along with them. Gawain rode up beside her, looked at her new clothes and nodded his acceptance. "I'm glad you like them." said Laurel with a smile. Sofia made a childish gagging noise. Lancelot and Galahad laughed. Gawain shot then a contemptuous but not mean scowl.

They were out of sight of the castle when the sounds of drumming startled everyone out of their skin. The horses whinnied and reared. Laurel was able to steady hers while Galahad helped Sofia to calm hers. Laurel had always been more attuned to animals than her sister. Sofia thought they were just there for man's disposal but laurel knew they were there to be man's friends. She talked quietly to her horse, keeping it calm. "Shh," she said. "It's alright. They're far from here. It's just an echo." she patted the beast's mane and continued her "Shh"'s

She turned to face her sister but Gawain's face caught her attention. It was pained and resolved. Their eyes met and she knew what he was thinking. Nodding at him she whispered "It's your choice." Tears welled in her eyes as Gawain and the other four knights rode off back towards the castle to fight the good fight with Arthur, who had stayed behind to defend his country.

The caravan moved on a little more when Laurel shouted "I cant just sit here and wait. I have to do something!"

"What do you suggest?" shot back her sister's voice. "That we go in and fight too, becoming a distraction for the guys and possibly getting them and us killed?" Her hands were on her hips. Her face told Laurel that she too had been crying.

"I don't know!" cried Laurel. "But I cannot just ride away when they could be dying!" Her blood pressure was rising as was her adrenaline. Laurel was about to do something very foolish... again.

"Don't go off and do something crazy. This isn't home. There's no miracle medicing to keep you from dying. If it happens, it's final. There will be no going back." Sofia was trying to reason with her sister. It wasn't working.

"I'm going." she said to her sister calmly. She reigned in her horse and galloped off, not in the direction of the castle but of the woods. It suddenly dawned on Sofia what her sister was doing. She was going to fight as a Woad. Gawain would never realize it was her if she was painted blue. Shaking her head in disbelief, Sofia too turned her horse and followed her sister into the forest.

It took no time at all turning Laurel and Sofia into Woads. In fact the leather pants and deerskin top felt more comfortable to Laurel that the dress she had been wearing a moment ago. She held a bow in her left hand. A dagger was hidden in her boot and her hair was tied back in a braided ponytail. She walked up and stood next to Guinevere who noticed her, grinned and nodded.

She stood and watched as the knights fought the first wave of Saxons as the poured through Hadrian's Wall. They left one alive to send back to his commander.

The second wave was much larger than the first as the remaining Saxons filed through the great Gates into lower Brittain. She watched as the group spilt in two, the smaller section coming her way.

Parts of Laurel's view was obscured by the black smoke that billowed up from the burning pitch covered hay bales. It was time. Laurel's heart was beating furiosly in her chest. She could see her sister standing a few feet behind her and was glad to have her so near. Guinevere gave the order to raise arrows. As Laurel did so, a male Woad came along and lit it's grass covered tip on fire. She was ready to fight.


	4. 4 The Battle Begins

The signal was given and Laurel let her arrow fly. It soared far. She was surprised actually. She hadn't picked up an bow and arrow in nearly three summers. She was glad she still remembered how it was done. Another signal was called out. This one by Guinevere. She let out a primitive yell and took off running. Laurel followed suit. She and about a thousand Woads followed Guinevere into the already ongoing battle.

What befell her sight was horrible. Saxon's lay dead all around her. Laurel dared not stand in one spot too long and she went about killing ugly Saxon men when ever they got close enough to her to stab with her knife. Deep down Laurel was enjoying it. Tristan would be proud, she thought.

She was met in a few seconds by Sofia who, like her, was covered in blood already. "Just pretend they're all old boyfriends!" shouted Laurel's twin as she went after yet another Saxon. Laughing out loud, Laurel followed her sister and the two girls sent a rather burly and tall Saxon to his knees where others dispatched him quickly.

Laurel and Sofia knew all about the battle of Baden Hill. It was recorded as the last battle in Brittain by the Romans just before they pulled out all their forces. She knew of Artorius Castus and his knights' victory over the invading saxons. She knew the hows but not the whys. Those she learned during her short stay in the castle. Now knowing the full tale, Laurel was more than ready to kill the Saxons, no retribution what so ever from the government. She was, as were the Sarmatian knights, a pagan. Sofie was "non religious". So she feared no god either. She killed the fur covered men at will. She had been cut a few times and kicked in the stomack by one particularly ugly one, which she kicked back. Every now and then her eyes would scan the scene for a knight. She saw Galahad a few times, Sofia by his side. But Gawain was nowhere to be seen.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tristan. He was fighting a powerful looking Saxon and the Saxon was winning. Laurel shouted and ran to him. She got to him just as the big Saxon was about to run him through. Laurel yelled and plunged her dagger into his shoulder.

With a growl of pain the older mand tossed Laurel over his houlder and went after her, leaving Tristan alone momentarily. Exactly what she wanted. Laurel Durham had a few tricks up her sleeve that this sixth century Saxon had never seen. She took up a peculiar stance. The Saxon looked at her, bewildered. She grinned at him and began her Yoga routine. She waved her hands and arms in the air with grace. Tristan watched her and smiled. He, himself had wondered at first what sort of magic she had to be doing when he has seen her doing those moves in the livingroom. Seeing her do them now, they were just comical. Suddenly, Laurel shot out her right foot, panting it firmly in the Saxon's knee. He howled and lunged at her. She did a back handspring and landed on her feet a few yards away from him. "Stand still foolish girl." growled the Saxon. But her distraction had worked. Tristan had managed to catch his breath and regain some of his strength. He charged the Saxon, sword drawn. Laurel smiled at the old man and ran off, killing another Saxon on her way by.

She was a few hundred feet away when she saw Arthur take over for Tristan. Relieved, Laurel went to find Gawain.

The Saxon army was dwindling and it was easier to see who was who. Woads were the ones covered in blue and red, Saxons were the ones wearing fur, and Sarmatian knights were wearing body armor. She glanced around in time to see Sofia throw a dagger at the hand of a Saxon. He had been reaching for a crossbow to shoot at Lancelot. He glared at her and she wagged her finger at him reproachfully. Lancelot and the Saxon swung their swords at each other until one of Lancelot's twin blades found it's mark in the side of the Saxon. There was an issue of blood and the Saxon hit his knees. Lancelot had the upper hand.

A Saxon came running at Laurel just then she she was take by surprise. He had her on the ground and was about to thrust his dagger into her bare belly when he screamed in pain and Galahad appeared behind him, spear in hand. "Gawain is over there." ha said to her with a smile. "Have fun getting there." and with that he was gone, fighting more Saxons.


	5. 5 Settling In

As the battle wound down, Laurel made her way to Gawain. He was standing in a small clearing surrounded by dead Saxons. His shoulder was bleeding. "You should do something about that or it'll get infected." she said to him. He whipped around to see her. Laurel was painted blue and had drawings of suns, moons and other such characters all over her shoulders and back. She was also spattered with blood.

"You were supposed to stay with the caravan." he said to her softly.

Shrugging, all she could say was "Have you ever known me to follow the rules?" He face, although bloody and bruised was turned up in a smile. "I'm gonna feel this in the morning!" she exclaimed. She rubbed her backside and laughed. Gawain laughed as well.

The fires were smoldering and the full scope of the battle could be seen. Hundreds of Saxons and Woads were lying dead along the exspanse of the Wall. Laurel could see all her friends, alive. Tristan was finishing off one last Saxon and Lancelot was dustng himself off. Galahad was holding tightly to Sofie and Bors was strutting around proclaiming their victory. Arthur and Guinevere were standing at the top of a small hill, Merlin was beside them. Sighing with relief, Laurel approached Gawain and asked him. "Are you angry with me? For not staying put?"

"No, I'm glad you came. You're a strong woman, Laurel. I actually was surprised that you held back as long as you did. What I didn't expect was for Sofia to follow you." he laughed. "She seems like the type to not want to get dirty."

"She wasn't always like that." began Laurel. Sofie and I used to be true twins. We used to run around and throw things at each other. Rocks, mud, toys. We'd play bad guy versus good guy and we'd alternate. Sometimes we would get our brothers involved and they'd be the helpless victims." She laughed aloud at the memory. "She used to be really fun but then she discovered that the human race was flawed and she sank into herself. It wasn't until she met Galahad that she started to come around. He saved her from a life of boring tediousness.

The most unpleasant part came after. The bodies had to be separated. The Woads came and took their own and the rest, all Saxons, were piled and burned. The smell was horrible. If Laurel had been hungry when she started she wasn't anymore.

--------

Three days later, after much cleaning and settling, Laurel and Sofia stood in their own modest looking hut. It was outside the gates of the castle but it was stil near enough. Glancing around, Sofia comented that there was no place for books. "Where will I put them?" she muttered.

"What books Sof?" asked Laurel. "You don't have them anymore do you?" Sofia looked crestfallen. Her beloved books were still in the twenty first century, nearly all of them hadn't even been written yet.

Her face lighting up Sofia turned to her sister and said "I'll just have to start a new one. I know latin, I can read it at least. I'll start to compile scrolls or something. I have to have things to read." her tone was jubilant and stern at the same time. Laurel laughed.

"Perhaps Galahad will build you a bookshelf." she put in. Sofia's eyes grew even more joyful.

"You should write it all down, Laurie. Be the Bard. Tell this tale. In fifteen hundred years when we read this story for the first time, it'll be your words. Your words Laurie. You remember when you told me that you felt that he story was more real to you? Well, maybe that's beacuse it is real to you. It's real to us. You _did_ write it. You wrote it down and it was copied and passed down. It went into the history text books at school and you read your own story when you were only eight years old!" Sofia slapped her forehead. "Holy Gods! Laurie, we're in the school's history books!"

Laurel stood and listened to her sister rave on about stories and text books, not really paying attention to it but she had heard her say to write it down. She had memorized the tale from the school books and would write it word for word out on paper, making it her own.


	6. 6 The End of an Age

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone bright in the early morning sky. Laurel rolled out of bed and stretched her arms high above her head. Sofia was already up and gone. Her bed was empty and made. After dressing and pulling on her moccasins she grabbed a piece of bread off the table and munched as she walked up to the castle. The air outside was crisp. A perfect spring morning. It had been nearly a month since the battle that had changed all of them. She saw her friends all gathering in the center of the courtyard. A wagon was being loaded with provisions. That was when she remembered. They were going to the coast today. She slapped a palm to her forehead. How could she have forgotten? Today Arthur was marrying Guinevere.

As Bors helped Vanora load their smallest children he spotted her and yelled out "There she is Gawain. Finally out of bed!" Laurel threw what was left of her bread at him.

Gawain rode up on his horse. "If you hadn't shown up in another few minutes I would have come in and got you." He was smiling at her.

"My dear, if you had come in to get me, neither of us would have made the wedding." Laurel jested, her grin widening as she spoke. Bors could be heard laughing behind her. Apparently he had heard what she said.

"Ready to go?" asked another familiar voice. Laurel turned to see Lancelot on his black stallion. Both of them looked like prancing peacocks. Their heads held high and even the horse had a swagger to it's walk. Lancelot smiled at Laurel and Gawain before riding to the front of the line to join Arthur and Guinevere.

"He just doen't quit does he?" Laurel asked her beloved, who hoisted her up onto the horse behind him.

"No, I don't believe I've ever seen a mellow Lancelot." The two of them had another laugh and Gawain kicked the horse into motion. After an hour and a half ride they came to a stone cirlce that overlooked the coastline of Brittain. Laurel made a gasp. It was such a beautiful sight.

"Breathtaking." she whispered.

The crowd of Woads that were alreqady assembled looked no more like a really really large gathering of family. "Family of the bride." Laurel heard Tristan say with a slight laugh.

Gawain and Laurel dismounted. Galahad and Sofia rode up beside them and also dismounted. The two sisters looked at each other and a similar glint flashed in both sets of identical eyes. "I've always wanted an outside wedding." Sofia remarked offhandedly. The girls watched as poor Galahad went pale and Gawain laughed at him.

"Yeah, me too." added Laurel. This time it was Gawain's turn to go pale. She sighed and added "A double wedding might be nice, what do you think Sof?"

"Double? Hmm, I think it may proove, er, interesting." Both girls noticed a look of horor on both thier men's faces and burst out laughing. "I guess you were right Laurie. These two have fought and beat an entire Saxon army and have the scars to proove it but you mention marriage and they turn tail and run!" Sofia prodded Galahad with her finger and jeered at them both saying "Cowards."

Realizing they had been taken for fools Gawain took hold of Laurel and said softly into her ear "I'll show you who the coward is. Later. You wait, you'll see."

"I'm sure you'll try." Laurel whispered back to him. Her own face smiling at his bewildered one.

The ceremony started and everyone was silent. Well alomst everyone. Several of Bors' youngest children were restless and fidgety. They kept asking questions like "Is it done yet?" , "Is there going to be food?" and saying things like "Gilly hit me." and "I'm bored." Bors had threatened to knock down the next one who mad any noise. Just then the baby made a loud gurgle and wimpered. Looking down at the tiny thing in his arms he sighed. "Nothing out of you either." he said to him. the baby cooed.

As the wedding neared it's end Merlin brought Guinevere a golden cup filled with sacred wine. Laurel knew the ritual well. A handfasting. She drank, then handed the cup to Arthur who took his own drink in return. Gawain pulled Laurel close to him and hugged her tightly.

"King Arthur!" shouted Merlin so all could hear. This was followed by a deafening "Hail Arthur" from the Woad assemblage. Everyone knelt. Chants of "Arthur! Arthur!" rang through the crowd. Bors shouted "Artorius!" Gawain and Galahad looked at each other with bemusement. Tristan stood nearby, leaning on a tree eating an apple. Lancelot was flirting with a very pretty young Woad. Laurel would find out the humor in the situation later when Lancelot recalled how her father had remarked that she was only fourteen. After that Lancelot stayed away from Woad women.

Once back at Baden Castle, Laurel sat down in the great hall with Gawain at the round table and put pen to parchment. Together they recalled the events of the past month, except for the television and the lightning parts. She scribbled it all down for the future. She wrote it so she could read it one day in December 1987. She wrote it so she would be familiar with the story of her Gawain. She did it all so she would know what to do, know what to write when it came time again...

Thinking about it, a realization came over her. Laurel and Sofia would repeat their lives over and over. It was a circle. Their birth, lives in the future, their travel to the past, their deaths and back to their births in the future. Shaking her head at the complete simpleness of it Laurel wrote the end of it all. She finished the scroll and rolled it up.

"You think Arthur would like to read it first?" she asked him.

"I don't know." whispered Gawain. "But it's getting late and we'd better get some sleep if we're going to be of any use tomorrow." His smile suggested something different that sleep. Laurel gave him a devious look.

Another year went by and the horses were saddled and a wagon was hitched. Vanora sat on the buckboard and yelled at her children in the back. They had been given names now but Laurel could still only remember Gilly's. She sat astride her own horse as did Sofia.

"Excited to be going home?" Arthur asked his knights.

"Definitly." said Galahad as he kicked his horse so it would turn around to face Arthur. "I've been waiting for this moment since I got here. Not that it hasn't been fun, but.. well, you know." He stammered unpleasantly. Arthur nodded is comprehension.

"Lancelot, do you remember the way or do you need the map?" asked Bors with a jeernig smile on his pudgy face.

"Of course I do. How else do you think we'll all get back? Your superb navigation skills? I've seen you get lost on your way from the stables." The jeer sent back made Bors grin widely.

As the sun set over the horizon Laurel looked back to see Baden Castle sinking along with it. "Do you think we'll ever see it again?" she asked Gawain. He shrugged and reached over to hold her hand.

As they crossed over the southern horizon, Arthur knew he's never see those brave men and women again. But he did know that his son would have the dubious task of training their sons as knights. Guinevere walked up beside him holding the tiny bundle that was their son, Artorius Dagonet Castus. "You poor child." he said with a laugh. "If you only knew what you were getting into." He and Guinevere laughed and waved one more goodbye to those strong people who had hepled save Brittain from an uncertain future.

Fin.


End file.
